On Sunny Lane: That’s What It’s All About

Sweetheart and I have been invited to a wedding in a couple of months--where children are not welcome.

We went to a wedding a couple of years ago that was child free. We enjoyed ourselves, but the whole affair seemed to lack some luster. Some children came to our wedding twelve years ago--with their parents, of course. (In fact, it was exactly twelve years ago on September 7.) We enjoyed having children there. We couldn’t imagine children not being there.

I have no quarrel with people who want a child-free wedding. They have their reasons. I just think it’s a bit unusual.

When I drove for the Amish, I attended many a wedding. There were more straw-hatted little boys and bonnetted little girls than there were grownups.

Throughout my lifetime, there were always little--and not-so-little, ones attending the nuptial celebrations. I even attended when I was a little one. It was just assumed that they would be there. Children put life and energy into any event. They bring joy to people’s lives.

It seems to me that there are fewer children wherever I go. In the past, families were larger. Children were considered to be a blessing--a gift from God--not a burden. They were loved and cherished--at least most of the time. Whether parents thought they could “afford” all of their children was not part of the equation. Relying on God, they always found a way to provide the necessities of life.

We need children. They are, not just the future, they are part of the present. They perpetuate the human race. They stimulate the economy. As they get older, they can be a support to their parents in their old age.

Besides bringing life, energy and joy to the world, they also bring love. They elicit love from others, as well.

Don’t forget about love, because love is what it’s all about.

---

Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com